What not to watch when the murder mysteries finally get boring.

I am a big fan of murder mysteries, so it stands to reason that I would like Law & Order, and now Criminal Minds.  Sometimes you just have to get away from crime.  CNN is the answer in relation to the world now, but if I hear one more reference to the budget, I may have to shoot my screen.  So, for frivolity and the study of the totally warped human mind, I go for “Say ‘Yes’ to the Dress.”  I have no idea why I like it, and I often watch it covertly, so that no one in the house knows I watch it.

In fairness to me, I have been the object of comedy at my endless viewing of the Harry Potter Videos.  I try to turn the sound up and down, as they have a lot of very loud spots and then just talking.  I apologized to the youngest the other night if it woke him up, but he said that no, he liked to hear it as then he could mimic which spot I was currently in with the series.  This goes along with the false voices they ‘do.’  It also made me feel better that I was not irritating the rest of the family, but a source of comedy.  If I watch other movies, I WATCH them.  With Harry Potter, it just lulls me to sleep because, let’s face it, I think I have them memorized.

What would irritate them, besides my bridal gown fetish now, is the two times I have tried to watch things like “Beauty Queen Babies” or “Miniature Dancing Divas.”  I could only take ten and five minutes of each respectively and, OKAY, I cannot remember titles, but you get the picture.  Actually, it should be “Diva who could no more do a dance step than an acrobat one.”  I mean, that woman needs an assistant to demonstrate those moves.

What she also needs is a lesson in positive reinforcement.  She reminds me of one of those coaches who makes football players workout in full uniform in 110 degree weather, until they pass out dead.  These are little kids.  If your kid is that serious about dancing, find a teacher who does not take it into war drills, but who teaches it seriously and in a classy manner.  I applaud those mothers, and I don’t applaud them for much, but I do applaud them for standing up and telling her that those costumes were trashy and the dance was worse.

And, if my kids teacher turned around and said something about children never listening to parents because they don’t know … or whatever it was she said, I would go down to the floor, take my kid by the hand be out of there, and never return.

Which brings me to the wonderful mother on the show about babies in beauty pageants, who did say, at the end of the $10,000 award pageant show, that her daughter was going home and not taking part ever again because she wanted to teach her better values and that she had worth.

Don’t even get me started on “Ice loves Cocoa.”

I really need to go back to reading books.

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Things you can learn at 3:00am when you should be sleeping

I have trouble sleeping.  Not just sleeping, but also staying awake.  At times, I fall asleep with my head on my keyboard.  I usually fall asleep in moving cars (fortunately only once while I was driving), and I tend to doze off when visiting people or sitting.  The only time I don’t fall asleep is at night. 

Since my mother, age 88, has always gone to bed around four am and gotten up around six, I think this may be something in our DNA.   She has been observed falling asleep twice while standing.  Perhaps we were the watchmen/women for the tribe of cavemen we belonged to.  It was up to us to keep sabre tooth tigers at bay.  Now, all it gets me is angry snorts from the dog, who also refuses to move over when I finally am ready to sleep. 

I was recently put on a CPap machine.  (Officially, I wake up 7 1/2 times an hour and 80 times during REM sleep.  And, we wondered why I remembered my strange dreams so well!)  The machine really worked for about two days.  Then, I turned the heat up for the water a notch and slept great for about four days.  I’m up to five on the heated water thing and am thinking by 10 maybe it will just boil my lungs and I can sleep. 

Anyway, here I sit, having reformatted my computer yesterday and with barely anything on it, but the internet, and I am learning so much.  What did you learn, you ask!  Oh, come on, pretend you care even a little bit.

1. There is a reason people find these cute names for their blogs.  Anyone who uses their real name eliminates all the fodder that their family gives them for blogging.  I mean, when you name it Braindebris, you don’t have to tell anyone who Braindebris is (It’s my daughter by the way, but don’t tell anyone.)  But, naming your blog savanvleck, kind of ruins the anonimity you want for telling on your relatives.
2. This is for the times when you realize that Facebook has educated you to the fact that you are staunchly liberal and the rest of your family loves Sarah Palin, and that if your sister asks you one more time, to declare your love for something, you are going to…..  Frankly, I think I am exempt because I, obviously, was stolen from the Gypsies as a child. 
3. Why can’t we have two Facebooks.  One for people who want to stay in touch with other people and see pictures of their children and another for people who are looking for radishes for their imaginary farm?
4. When you format your computer (and since I have done this like every three months this year, I should have known this, but, when you do, you lose your favorites and stay up till 3am searching for things like, “Librarian+Seattle+Blog” to try and replace the bloggers who must be your real family because they laugh at the same things you do. 
5. Of course, since it is 3:00am, after you have spent three hours searching, you realize that you blogged about the science teacher who blogs a fascinating science fact every day (Mr. Barlow’s Blog) and have a link in your own blog to him.  I imagine I might have realized that sooner at 3:pm. 
6. My computer, a Dell Inspiron 1545 (who before I trash talk Dell, I will say, has the most awesome customer service on the face of the earth) has many flaws.  See numerous previous posts for those rantings.  But, the most irritating one I was left with (warranty is now up) is that I type over 100 wpm and for some reason the cursor jumps around all on it’s own.  So, I will be typing away and realize that the cursor is now two lines above where it was and I am typing stuff in the middle of another sentence.  Well, this format I did the smart thing and I downloaded new drivers for the touchpad, first thing.  It has not done the jumping around thing all day.  Fingers crossed!
7. That I still do not remember how to post links well on WordPress.
8. Well, folks, that wonderful little pill I took two hours ago is starting to work.  I guess it is time to fight the Chihuahua for the bed.  Sweet dreams in your REM sleep. 

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These shoes are made for walking, maybe on my computer!

I have a new mother boad on my new Dell Inspiron 1545.  This seems to have fixed the external modem problem.  The new hard drive was a bonus (the repairman says it is much better than the old one.)  I have a new CD Rom, as I had to use a paperclip to eject it at times.  Now, my touchpad is wonky. 

While Dell’s service people are very nice, I am so putting off calling about the touchpad.  I wish they would have just replaced the whole laptop at some point.  I always have to go through convincing them that I am not a computer illiterate person and I have already updated the drivers for the touchpad and yes, my touchpad is haunted/possessed/you name it.

It’s very interesting to watch it jump all around the screen by itself, lighting up windows and closing them.  Interesting, but irritating.  Such as, it just jumped up a line and I found out I was typing on the wrong line. 

I am here to try to get some regular postings done.  The ground, hence the phone lines are dry and I can no longer hear my neighbor, on our occasional party line, informing her family that her son is out of jail now.  I wonder if this is the same son who knocked on my door the other day, so drunk he could hardly stand up, to ask if he can use my phone.  When we took the cell out to him, I was not letting him in the house to upchuck or slit our throats, he called someone and promptly starting walking, stumbling back home with my cell phone.

I may have lost the art of blogging.  I have to work real hard to be funny.  Although, my life has enough fodder for the telling that it should come naturally. 

In parting, since I shared a picture of my last “butt ugly shoes,” I thought I should share a photo of my new wonderful shoes.  I have bone and joint/tendon whatever problems and my feet will apparently self destruct if I do not tie them in  good, meaning $100, shoes.  This is according to my doctor.   And, in his defense, they hurt when I don’t. 

It was time for a new pair and he sent me to Shoe Carnival  http://www.shoecarnival.com/.  I am here to tell you, I am in love with these shoes and shoe carnival.  I had hurt my back and after walking less than an hour in these things, my back felt wonderful.  In fact the only time it didn’t hurt was when I walked in them.  They say you lose weight when you wear them.  Every time I sat down, my back hurt, so I think keeping you up and moving is a side benefit.

So, here they are:  My new Avi-motion walking shoes by Avia.  I was able to get a second pair, to trade off, for $125 for both pairs.  What a deal.  There is a more name brand of these shoes, that are supposed to tone your butt up and all but they hurt my feet.  The butt thing is not known yet, but we can hope.  I swear these shoes are fun to walk in.  They have a rocking kind of sole.  The dog is optional.

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Hey, I’m one in 93 million!

During a five hour cell phone diagnostic phone call with Dell, for my new Inspiron 1545 laptop, I was told,

“Why don’t you just get on high speed.  Only 10% of the population are still on Dialup, you know.”

This was probably in response to my “I’m returning this laptop, and placing it !$^%$%@^.”  No, not really, I try to be polite, until they drive me to the point where I am so frustrated that I begin to yell.   The good news on that is that I did not have to walk my treadmill yesterday as my heart rate surged numerous times during my five hour conversation.

My problem: Computer, external modem and AOL worked fine when I got it.  I went on WiFi and came home and dialup will no longer work.  Called Dell, their one intelligent tech, who is apparently on vacation, got me up and running again.  Dialup worked.  Then, I went on DSL, at library, and I have not been able to get on dialup since.

At that point, they had me over to a supervisor, I spoke to no less than five supervisors yesterday (and they say the government is full of waste),  who again has me uninstall and reinstall AOL, for the 752th time.  And, refuse to listen to the fact that I could get online with my external modem when I bought the machine until I went on WiFi at daughters and then they walked me through the fix and it was again working, then I went to the library and got on DSL and that was that. 

He then proceeded to blame the problem on what I tried to do to fix the problem.  Obviously, Dell technicians do not know that step B follows step A.  It was broken first, you idiot, or I wouldn’t have been trying to fix it.

So, this morning I decided to see just how many people are still on dial-up.  I mean, although it is good fun, starting it up and going and doing the dishes as it starts and then pushing a button and going to dust as it goes to the site.  I wouldn’t know what to do with all my free time if I were on high speed.  I might have to scrub the floor.  Plus, I am one of 93 million Americans, or ONE-THIRD OF THE COUNTRY, who do NOT have high-speed internet in their homes, and so thoroughly enjoy it. 

And, Mr. Dell Technician, that is 35% of Americans and NOT 10%.  So, how bright are you?  35% of US Internet Still on Dialup  And that is according to the FCC. 

The upshot is:  I have one choice.  I am supposed to reformat my computer to restore it to Factory state.  Then, at home I am to set Internet Connections to Dial Default.  But, when I go anywhere near Wi-Fi or DSL, I must change Internet Connection settings to Never Dial or it will again get corrupted and I will have to reformat the computer yet again. 

Hmmmm, now what if my neighbor gets WiFi???  That puts me at risk for again having to “restore my computer to Factory state” as I might not have had time to change my settings before they go on WiFi  and my computer picked up their signal.

First, I really do not believe that would work.  I’m sorry, I took a college Logic course and this just misses on so many points. 

I am sure I face a future of reformating my computer every week when I come home from the library.  Or, just giving up. 

You’ll have to excuse me, I am off to inform all my neighbors that they must warn me if they get Wi-Fi so I can change my settings.

Right after that, next time I go to the library, I shall try to figure out how to get this blog on RSS.  I haven’t a clue.

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Another excuse for a long absence.

Apparently, after going on the internet on my daughter’s luxurious high speed, at Christmas, my new Dell computer, with Windows 7, came home and went on strike and said,

“No Way. You can cry. You can stomp your feet. You can install and uninstall aol a billion times but I am NOT going online dialup with AOL.”

The computer has spoken. I took it to the library to gently cajole it into AOL on high speed. NOPE! Well, on high speed it was okay but it was not fooling around.   Even after I downloaded AOL 9.5, I brought it home and it resides in a loop.

It says, “AOL will now install. ….”

Then, it says, “You need to restart your computer.”

Then, it says, “AOL will now install….”

Then, it says, “You need to restart. . . etc, etc, etc, over and over and over.

Anyway, even my desktop wasn’t working for about four days. I think it was too cold in the house. Maybe that’s why everyone was complaining, “IT’s TOO COLD IN THE HOUSE.”  Despite which I have a $400 heating bill.

So, that is where I have been, that and at doctors and hospitals, as husband continues his month long battle with pneumonia.  

Next post, the joys of letting a doctor dig in your eyeball.  Not for the squeamish.

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The world of O.C.’s

I am a big fan of Monk. Tony Shalub acted the part of an Obsessive Compulsive with great  skill, as he does all his parts.  I will miss the show.  However, there is a reality show, based on an Obsessive Compulsive that is absolutely NOT fun to watch.

Jeff Lewis, the lead (gosh, I so want to say ‘lead Cretin’) of the reality show “Flipping Out” is definitely NOT funny or sympathetic or even bearable to watch

I am not sure if there are levels of Obsessive Compulsive or not.  I believe there is because my mother has dealt with it all her life.  She has not let it make her a miserable, mean person to deal with.  She is considerate and compassionate.

Let’s just look at a quote or two from Mr. Lewis.

In discussing an employee, obviously hired (in his mind) as a servant, and who now has her citizenship, he stated:

I have to find a way to get my power back.  I used to dial INS and she would… (here he snapped his fingers, as in jump to kiss his behind.)

The next quote:

We’re a fast paced office here, you gotta be quick. 

This from the man who becomes paralyzed because someone is not carrying his umbrella, for him and to protect him, or a man who becomes less than professional by apologizing for an employee’s hair, or spends two hours of his work time sitting and fretting and haranguing another employee because a new employee is late.

Mr. Lewis is not happy until he has that new employee in tears, then he can get back to work.

Frankly, after watching for those fifteen minutes, I am making a new diagnosis.  Mr. Lewis is NOT OC, he is sadistic, arrogant and rude.  And, I want to know why we are making a tv star/wealthy man out of someone who treats others the way he does.  Here we are again, Home flipper/supposed decorator behaving badly.  And, you know how I hate those “behaving badly” shows.

I wasted fifteen minutes of my life watching Jeff Lewis make big bucks from a television conglomerate.  Frankly, I think they owe me big bucks to give me fifteen minutes of my life back.

The man is an obnoxious turd

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Fifteen more days of VISTA! Grrrrrrrrrr!

So, idiot savant that I am, yesterday I get a message that this Gateway, with VISTA, is out of room, and they were not talking about my house.  That, I could understand. 

I began looking at what was on the computer, as hardly anything installs on this VISTA.  But, guess what?  I had two full versions of VISTA on it and four files with between 1.25 GB and 3.836 GB from VISTA backups or something.  

THEN:

I Google it, find a site about removing duplicate VISTA, download the program, follow the directions, restart the computer and it’s ALLLLLLL gone.  Okay, not quite all, the VISTA installs, every blinkin’ one of them, are still there, but my programs and such are gone. 

It is not that this is such a big deal, as the only installs I had on it were Word and Jasc Paint Shop Pro.  Coffee Cup would not install, even downloading it.  And, everything I have is on backup disc.  But, I still have all this VISTA on here.  And, everything I go to do, such as write a spectacularly hilarious blog from my notes, is gone. 

I shall go troll other blogs now and perhaps get inspired, as opposed to frustrated.

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I need advice!

Okay, all you lurkers out there. It is time to leave a comment and give me some advice. My beloved Gateway CX200S touchpad bit the dust.  I loved that machine, as everything fit “me.” 

I loved Windows XP, I loved the keypad, where everything was located, the feel of the keys (I type over 100 wpm).  I loved everything about it.  As an artist, I loved the ability to take the styllis and make corrections.

Fortunately, as my screen had been pink a lot lately, I have been backing up a lot.  Then, yesterday morning as it dimmed and brightened, I was able to do a last minute backup.  The swivel pins for the screen broke some time ago and I was using a jury-rig system in back of it.  I tried hooking up a separate screen to it but the window was too black to see if adjusting it in Control panel would make that work. 

Now, I am not going to be able to pay to replace it.  I am hoping to get one under $600, closer to $400 (Hah!), and then later get a separate unit with a styllis to plug in.  I’m not having a lot of luck searching to see what they might need, or even to find an available separate styllis . 

I have looked at TigerDirect for used computers and Googled reviews for laptops under $600.  Here are my questions and my requirements.

REQUIREMENTS:  I run the following programs and like to have most of them open at once:

1. Word 2007
2. CoffeeCup HTML, FTP (free updates, since I purchased it, my actual disc is 2001)
3. PaintShop Pro 9
4. WordPerfect, I have this on because I used to use it so old discs have documents in WordPerfect, that I occasionally need.
5. Microsoft Money 2004
6. AND, I am on AOL, and they do not put out new discs very often.
7. I am on dialup but go to the library, and my Master Daughter’s for high speed.

I rarely get anywhere near Hard Drive full.  I do not do gaming but do a lot of graphics and have a lot of photos on my hard drive.

So, does anyone have any recommendations.  Do I go to Tiger Direct and get something refurbished with Windows XP?  Or, how is the new Windows 7???  I am typing on a VISTA and it does not like installing a lot of software.  I hate the feel of the keyboard and the distance from the back.

It has been suggested that I go to Best Buy, etc and try them out and then go online, but I know they always seem to carry separate machines.  I also know that when Gaffer bought a computer at Best Buy he had “issues” with Gateway for repairs and he had three problems the first year.

I would really appreciate any advice, ideas or information.  Thank you. 

P.S. Since I have been using other machines, my Categories is gone.  What’s with that?

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People Behaving Badly

It seems to me that we have become a society that values people behaving badly. What else accounts for: Bridezillas, Bad Girls, Bad Party Girls, John & Kate, the children the nanny tries to rehabilitate, Housewives of the Amazon (or wherever they happen to be living and fighting now), and all the reality shows where people yell at each, while the camera watches.

It used to be that behavior like that was a reason to be ashamed.  Now, it seems encouraged.

We have become a nation that loves to watch brats; brats of all ages.  Hence, recently the big news was the soccer player who was repeatedly filmed abusing other players.  Her excuse, “That’s not me.  I’m not like that.”  Okay, who was in your body?  Because, people who know you certainly think it is you.

I am so totally sick of people yelling and screaming at each other because they just “know” what is right and you do not.  What happened with negotiation and meeting in the middle and listening?  I have to wonder what is going to force us to realize that this is a very slippery slope to head down.

I love Project Runway and have really enjoyed the last couple of seasons where they did NOT have the one or two people who like to make life miserable for everyone else.  The only liar was out as soon as he opened up with that big lie.  There was only one who liked to put the others down, in a big way, but all-in-all it was a pleasant season.  And, what is wrong with that?

What is wrong with being civilized?

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To all you stalkers out there

There are two people in our family who are just so funny that you love to be around them and often the comment is heard, “if we could get Sharon and Carol together one day, we would die from laughter.” 

Sharon lives in Indiana and Carol in Wisconsin, so it has not happened yet, but Sharon has begun blogging.  She was shamed into it really by a couple of bloggers, okay, me  and her friend.  She tried her hand, Just who are you people? « Braindebris’s Weblog, and was (as we suspected) hysterical.  She is one of ‘those’ people, who if she wrote regularly enough would be publishing a book.  She is that funny, just check out the The Immortal Rabbit « Braindebris’s Weblog if you want to split a gut.

She took a long break from blogging, much to our disgust, and is back now on a weekly blog schedule.  You would think she has a life or something!  She also mentioned it takes a good hour to put a blog post together.  Who knew!   

So, this morning, I checked how her weekend was and she brought up the often mysterious workings of the blogosphere and the people who take the time to read your blog but rarely write comments. 

My readership is not huge, it has dropped since I have gotten less regular in posting. However, in the beginning, when my readership would hit 1,000 for the month, I never had commenters, other than one.  There were 999 people out there lurking.   XUP always comments, all the way from Canada.  Aren’t you ashamed fellow Americans?  I have to get comments from Canada.  Pollyanna Rainbow Sunshine and the Needles of Doom often commented, but I have been really remiss commenting on their blog lately.  Don’t you love that name though!

 I have also been blogging a bit less lately myself, as I work on my eternal update to my website.  I feel like one of those people on the commercial, staring wide eyes, pupils dilated from staring at the screen, mind numb … anyway, you get the not pretty picture.  I only have one section left to go on the website and am soooo look forward to it being done.

This morning, here is a copy my monthly stats.  Notice the slow decline.

So, I checked Search terms. 

“no blood for oil Viggo” – as in Viggo Mortensen, no surprise there. Half of my readership is searching for “Viggo” -  Talk about stalkers! 

“Worms …” – EUWWW! especially when in the house. 

“actor with low ears” -  Okay, is this person casting a movie?  I have written about actors, and I have written a post due to the lovely commercial based on the old song “do your ears hang low. ” But, I have NEVER written about an actor with low ears.  I am not even sure why you would want to find an actor with low ears.

 

In an effort to raise my stats, I realize that I have three sure winners:

• Viggo Mortensen
• photography
• Movie reviews

Okay, Viggo Mortensen is hot and I do understand the fascination.  He keeps his private life mysterious and he’s hot and he likes dark chocolate and he’s hot.  What more could you want?  The only thing is, I do not actually know Mr. Mortensen (I love his name by the way— Viggo Mortensen—-it’s lyrical.  This is coming from someone named VanVleck.  Not so lyrical.

So, I shall now vow to make more of an effort to review movies about Viggo Mortensen and you, my kind readers (numbers 13 to 30 and occasionally 1,000) shall occasionally drop me a line to let me know what you like, or do not like, on my blog.

Oh, and I will try not to be a stalker myself.

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